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45 degree close up angle of fully baked meal prep sheet pan chicken thighs
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Meal Prep Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

Meal Prep Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs are perfect to make once every week or two and then use in various dishes as needed. Serve them for dinner as-is (my family loves them!), or have juicy chunks of chicken for salads, pastas, casseroles, soups, appetizers, lunches and more.
Course Batch Cook, DInner, lunch, Meal Prep
Cuisine American
Keyword aip, batch cook, Chicken Thighs, easy, gaps diet, gluten-free, keto, meal prep, paleo, whole30
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 servings
Calories 537kcal
Author Megan
Cost $32

Equipment

  • sheet pan (also called a half sheet)
  • oven

Ingredients

  • 6 to 7 pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless
  • 4 Tablespoons fat of choice: butter, or avocado oil for dairy-free (coconut oil or lard are also fine if you prefer)
  • 4 teaspoons sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste, optional (omit for AIP)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Add 4 Tablespoons fat of choice to large sheet pan (like this).
  • Lay chicken thighs upside down on the pan. (The fat can be anywhere on the pan. It will soon melt and spread out.)
    overhead view of raw chicken thighs spread out evenly on the sheet pan before being baked
  • Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sea salt evenly over the chicken thighs.
  • Bake thighs 25 minutes, then remove pan from the oven. They will be swimming in pan juices.
  • Use tongs to flip over all the thighs. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons sea salt on the top sides of the thighs. Move any fatter/thicker thighs to the outer edges of the pan, where they'll cook hotter, and move smaller thighs to the center of the pan where they'll be protected from over-cooking. Add optional black pepper (omit for AIP).
    overhead view of baked chicken thighs on sheet pan
  • Return pan to the oven, and bake 25 additional minutes. Large thighs will be extra juicy but fully cooked through. (Just cut one open if you wish, to be sure.)
    45 degree close up angle of fully baked meal prep sheet pan chicken thighs
  • Thighs may now be used in a variety of ways. To use immediately, use tongs to transfer thighs to a cutting board. Slice into strips, or cut into cubes. If you wish, transfer cubes to a mixing bowl, add some of the hot pan juices from sheet pan, and add spice mix of choice from Notes section below. Or, see post for more ideas: to make Teriyaki Chicken or BBQ Chicken. Top Bowls, Salads or fill Wraps with warm chicken.
  • To refrigerate: Cool fully, then store in glass storage containers with rubber lids for up to 5 days. When ready to use, slice or chop for easy lunches, to top Salads, fill Wraps, or warm gently to top Bowls. To freeze: Cool fully, then store in glass storage containers with rubber lids for up to 3 months.

Notes

Spice and herb mixes to stir into chopped chicken thighs:

Use 2 teaspoons total of any spice or dried herb mixture. Use up to 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs. Stir into 2 cups warm chicken, with 1/4 cup or more of hot pan juices.

MEXICAN

  • AIP: dried oregano, garlic, onion, cinnamon, ginger, fenugreek, mace and turmeric
  • Keto, Paleo, Whole30 and other real food diets: chili powder (like this)

GREEK

  • marjoram, oregano, spearmint, parsley, sage, powdered dried rosemary, tarragon, thyme

ITALIAN

  • basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, thyme

MORE IDEAS HERE FOR POPULAR SPICE MIXES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 508mg | Potassium: 465mg | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg